


Inseparable

by lifeinabeautifullight, prettysky



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Xenophobia, sanvers family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24111391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifeinabeautifullight/pseuds/lifeinabeautifullight, https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettysky/pseuds/prettysky
Summary: "I'm Maggie. What's your name?"He was silent.So she was patient, her eyes soft and her smile kind."Jay." He finally whispered."Jay," she nodded to him. "That's a great name, Jay. I'm from the police. We'll help you get out of here and cleaned up, and then we'll see what to do with you, okay?"
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Comments: 20
Kudos: 141
Collections: Secret Sanvers Mother's Day Writing Challenge





	Inseparable

**Author's Note:**

> happy mothers day!

Maggie Sawyer had never considered herself someone who was easily alarmed.

A seventeen year NCPD veteran, she’d met her fair share of people. Some tried to get smart with her, others tried to get away from her, and many had wanted, some had even tried, to hurt her. A lot attempted to scare and threaten yet they all ended up walking away with their hands tied behind their backs, arrested, and regretting their mistake. 

None of that ever fazed her.

Criminals were supposed to be smart, so they can get away with their crimes, yet the cases that arrived to her recently were getting easier; all she had to do was to walk to the suspect's house and catch them, make them plead guilty and come back to the station, eat another donut, drink more coffee - yeah, she was a cliche, but dammit, the bakery down the street from the precinct sold the best glazed donuts.

She had a reputation for badgering her Captain.

“There’s gotta be something you could give me,” She pleaded. “I’m bored, Nickson. I've cleaned my desk five times in the past two weeks; finished all pending reports and closed cases from the theft department. I'm going to freak out if you don't find me a job."

"You know, you seem disappointed that crime has gone down." He laughed at her, leaning back. "Be thankful. It's your job, to watch over the law, and you do it great. If you really want, I can put you on traffic duty."

There were many things she was willing to do, but traffic duty was not one of them. Not again, no, she’d earned those stripes years ago. To Maggie, the most boring job on earth was a traffic inspector. She agreed to drop it, continued to work at her day job without further complaint, catching suspect after suspect, continuing to hear their grunts as she led them to the station.

~ ~ ~

Alex was also aware that there were only a few things that could alarm her wife.

She and Jamie, their three-year-old, had a Halloween tradition of trying to scare Maggie. The first year, it’d been toddler Jamie in Alex’s arms, squealing with joy as she got lifted into the air. This past Halloween, it’d been Jamie on her own with the scariest face she could manage; Maggie had to admit, and Alex agreed, that such a cute face was hard to get frightened by. Yet Alex continued to try to elicit a reaction, jumping from every corner all to no avail.

“You’re insufferable,” Alex told her after another failed attempt, one morning a few days before October 31st. 

“Thanks, I’ve been told,” Maggie said dryly.

“Mommy, what does insufferable mean?” Jamie asked, prompting her mothers to exchange a smile.

“Another time,” Alex swung the three-year-old into the air, sitting her down at the table. “Now, you have to eat.”

Jamie frowned. “Now, mommy!”

Alex put a plate of cereal in front of her. “Later, baby.” She kissed the top of the girl’s head. “Breakfast first. Questions later.”

Hunger overcame curiosity as Jamie abandoned her quest for knowledge, and began to eat with that famous Danvers appetite.

Jamie was three years and four months old, and probably the most active little girl that Maggie or Alex knew. She chatted in the car, at home, in the shower, in bed, ran around in circles in the yard or the living room, jumping and asking questions, and generally never seemed to need to rest. Alex carried her for nine months until she emerged into the world, firmly grasped in the loving arms of her mothers. An exhausted Alex hadn’t seen a more beautiful sight than Maggie's tired figure, after thirty hours of labor, holding their new baby, a sparkling, new light in her eyes.

"We did it," she murmured then, the bundle of happiness cooing lightly in her arms. 

Alex hummed with approval. 

Maggie sat down on the bed beside her, placing the little girl on Alex's chest. She looked at them both, sniffling, a wide smile on her lips. It was a moment she’d never forget; She, her wife and their little daughter. There was nothing else she wanted more than this moment, this future together.

Jamie grew up to be a sweet girl with dark, soft hair, dimples, and rolling laughter. She loved drawing; Paw Patrol; and her best friend, her furry big sister, Gertrude. 

Yet even with one human daughter and one canine, Alex felt there was still room for one more. 

"How about we'll send the first one to college first?" Maggie sighed in response, turning around in bed. That evening, she showered Jamie, combed her hair and read her two bedtime stories, and told another one by heart, before Jamie agreed to go to sleep. Since she learned to speak, Jamie wasn't silent for a moment, except for storytime. Alex found herself addicted to watching storytime, to the way Maggie was sitting on Jamie's bed, and Jamie lying with her eyes locked on her mother, her little hands clutching the blanket that Grandma Eliza had lovingly made for her.

"Come on, Maggie. We need to have another so she’ll have someone to talk to. She'll be lonely very soon." Alex wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her head in the hollow of her neck.

"If only we had twins."

"It's a shame we didn’t." Alex placed a gentle kiss, her hands slowly wrapping tighter around Maggie's waist. Maggie let out a soft sigh of pleasure.

"Let's make a baby," Alex whispered.

Maggie couldn't stop herself from giggling. "You know that even if we have sex, it's not gonna make a baby, right?"

Alex chuckled in response, sliding her hand under Maggie's pajama top.

If she was being honest, Maggie wanted another child. Jamie was great, but Alex was right - soon she might get lonely and would want another sibling. And, well, another kid did sound like a good idea. Maggie wanted to start a family. She had the family she chose for herself, Alex and everyone else, but a family of her own? One that she would start? It was a dream she didn't know she had until she met Alex; until she realized how amazing it would be to be a mother, to have a wife, a place where she could navigate all the love in her heart that she never knew who to give. There was room for one more in their little family, and Maggie hoped to fill it soon.

A few days later, she was called to a small apartment in a southern neighborhood.

An explosion. 

Explosions weren’t uncommon in the area, but one caused one of the residents to call the police, and Maggie found herself, along with several other police officers, arriving at the scene. The apartment was charred yet deemed structurally sound enough for them to enter. She toured around to check for casualties, and then she saw him.

A boy, five or six years old, sitting in a corner, trembling. She approached him, and he noticed her, flinching. She slowed her pace.

"Hey, hey, it’s okay. I won't hurt you," she started to approach again, slowly. 

He was very thin, with long hair that covered his face, and old, dirty singlet and shorts covering his body. He glanced at her for just a moment, and again turned his head. She saw tears on his cheek.

"Are you cold?" She noticed his bare arms. She quickly took off her police jacket, which was famously big on her, and even bigger on him. 

It covered all of his body. He wrapped himself up, looking a little calmer now that he stopped shaking. He hadn't said a word yet, and looked at her again, his eyes big, blue. She smiled at him.

"I'm Maggie. What's your name?"

He was silent. 

So she was patient, her eyes soft and her smile kind.

"Jay." He finally whispered.

"Jay," she nodded to him. "That's a great name, Jay. I'm from the police. We'll help you get out of here and cleaned up, and then we'll see what to do with you, okay?"

He looked terrified. 

She reached out carefully, stroking his shoulder. "You'll be fine, I promise. Okay? Let's get out of here."

He managed to get up with her help, his long hair falling on his face. She walked out of the apartment with him holding her hand tightly, and she put her other hand on his shoulder in encouragement. They arrived at the station, and after two cups of hot cocoa and a few pages of a coloring book, she found out more about him.

She found, for example, that after one cup of cocoa he talks a little more, and after a second cup he becomes sleepy. 

She found that he liked dolphins, and when she handed him the booklet, he found a page full of them and colored them all, a serious look on his face as he held the crayon. 

She found out that he was half-alien; his mother a Durlan, his father a human. He lived in that little apartment with his mother, after his father took off. His mother's body was later discovered in the other room. Maggie got the news from another policeman, and she looked at the room where Jay was sitting, painting intently. She sighed quietly, biting her lips.

For the first time in a long time, she was startled, and almost scolded herself for letting herself panic. But there was no escaping the feeling - surprisingly, strangely, illogically, she felt a deep connection to this child. A connection she couldn't explain or understand. She’d only met him a few hours ago and yet something about him pulled her in, and she kept looking at him, thoughtfully.

She couldn’t leave him alone, at the mercy of the authorities, now that he was without a guardian. She had to do something.

"You called?" Alex arrived at the precinct from work, back in her street clothes.

Maggie exhaled with relief when she saw her, reaching for her hand. Alex raised an eyebrow but said nothing as Maggie led her wordlessly to a side room. "Do you remember what we said, the other day, about... about having another baby?"

Alex's eyebrows were raised even higher. "That's what you called me for? You shouldn't call it ‘making a baby’, we have other codes for-"

"No, silly, I'm serious."

Alex frowned. "Do you want to talk about it now?"

"What if I tell you," Maggie continued. "That I found a potential candidate?"

Alex's eyes narrowed in confusion, then opened with surprise. "No," she whispered.

"Yes. We found him this morning. A five-year-old, he’s sweet and wonderful and... his mother just died. The father left years ago without leaving many details. We haven’t found any records for other relatives, so the next step is a foster home, or anything else the authorities will decide. He’s… all alone, and I just... he's so small, I..." She sighed. "I can't throw him away like that. Alien kids struggle to find homes as it is, and I don’t want him going through all of that."

"Do you want to..."

"Adopt him. For him to join us. Be... be ours." Maggie's eyes sparkled, wet.

"Maggie..." Alex shook her head. "You met him this morning."

"Just talk to him,"

"That was less than ten hours ago. Maggie, you-"

"Alex." Maggie's voice trembled. "Please."

"Okay, okay," Alex put a hand on her wife's shoulder, massaging it gently. Maggie wiped her eyes, and they entered the room where Jay was sitting.

It took them a while. They had to discuss it, decide that this was what they really wanted. When they finally decided, and talked to Jamie, who was very excited, there were many documents to arrange. Lots of meetings to go through, lots of talk and commitments. They had to prove that they really wanted him.

That last part was easy.

They really wanted him.

Finally, they are able to bring Jayson ‘Jay’ Cortez home.

Excitedly Maggie picked him up from the foster home where he had been staying, and took him to the Danvers-Sawyer household. They stood at the entrance, and Jay looked at the big door.

"Is this your home?" Astonishment filled his voice.

"This is our home," Maggie told him, and they walked in, Alex and Jamie ready to greet them.

And so it went. Jamie and Jayson learned to get along. The bit-shy Jay and the talkative Jamie played together, in the backyard or in the playroom, watched cartoons, or built Lego towers. She was younger than him, but mature, and he seemed to enjoy her company, and vice versa. Jay adapted to his new life pretty quickly, to his new sister and two moms, and he seemed calm most of the time, now that his life was back on a more pleasant track. There were crises, of course, they knew they would be. But they went through them, as best they could. He cried, raved or vehemently refused to clean after him or go to sleep, and they were always quick to wrap him in love, treating him in the best way they could, with a stiff but loving hand. Maggie was optimistic, as was Alex.

"Mom, I'm done!" Declared Jamie, her upper lip covered in milk. "Now tell me what’s In- infer- infrara… insraflaebulb?"

Maggie stifled a giggle, kissing Jamie's forehead. "She said inseparable. That means some things that cannot be separated." She put her empty glass in the sink. Maggie and Alex exchanged a smile and Jamie thought intently. She didn’t seem to remember the context at all.

"Like us?"

"Exactly like us!" Alex smiled, and Jamie seemed pleased, not noticing the trick Maggie planned for her. She jumped out of the chair, took her empty plate and stood on her tiptoes, placing it on the marble beside the sink. She walked away with wide skips, and Maggie went over to Alex, who had just finished her coffee, still in pajamas. She smiled at her, ruffling her ruffled hair even more.

"Good morning," she murmured, placing a light kiss on her cheek. Alex leaned against the touch, and Maggie brought her mouth closer to Alex's ear.

"If you say a bad word again next to my daughter, I'll kill you," Maggie whispered. Alex squirmed with laughter, almost choking on her coffee.

"Provided you go to wake up my son. He has been sleeping for almost nine hours." Alex looked at her watch, a smirk spread to her lips.

"He can sleep even longer if we let him."

"And if we do?"

"Then we'll have time for... some playtime." Maggie tugged on the band of Alex's pajama pants, her lips touching her cheek. Alex exhaled, shaking her head.

"My daughter is in the other room, watching TV. Do you really want to do this now?"

Maggie shrugged. "We’ll have to be very quiet. But if you don't want to..." She began to walk away slowly, not looking away from Alex. Alex rolled her eyes.

"You really are insufferable," she whispered with a smile, pushing her toward the marble island, kissing her eagerly. Maggie's arms wrapped around Alex's shoulders, and she felt a sigh at the end of her throat, Alex's body tightly pressed into-

"Um..."

Alex pushed Maggie away as far as she could and the two of them turned to look at the kitchen door, flushed. Jay stood there, an almost terrified look on his face.

You adopt a child after trauma, and almost immediately give him new trauma. Well done, Sawyer. Maggie quickly put on a lovely smile.

"Good morning, sweetie! Did you sleep well? I-" She exchanged a look with Alex, who was wearing a similar smile. "I'm sorry-"

Jay looked stunned, not responding yet, and a worried look seemed to spread on his face.

"Are you hungry?" Alex tried. He looked at her, then nodded. They both turned immediately, walking around the kitchen.

"Pancakes? With blueberries or chocolate chips-"

"Maybe waffles? I know we have a waffle-maker here somewhere..."

"I don't know how much flour we have left, honey. Did you see the-"

"What about eggs? Bacon? I'm not sure if-"

"I just want some cocoa."

They stopped abruptly and looked at him, Alex's head stuck in the pans drawer and Maggie's hand in the fridge, searching for bacon. They exchanged a confused look.

"A cocoa!" Alex said after a moment, closing the drawer. "One hot cocoa coming right up."

"Sit, champ," Maggie smiled at him, pointing her hand at the table. He sat down carefully, pulling his long hair from his face.

It had been several months since he had begun to live with them, and they had made an effort to make his stay at home as pleasant as possible. Special meals, new games, trips and treats. He seemed happy about it, in his own way, at least most of the time. Jamie was very helpful, and Maggie and Alex were happy with every smile that came to his lips.

Maggie still heard him cry at night sometimes. It was clear to her that it wouldn’t go away anytime soon, but when she tried to prompt him, he seemed to disconnect and isolate, and she didn't dare to push any deeper. Sometimes he had horrific screaming attacks and raging tantrums, and Maggie or Alex had to hold him tight until he calmed down. In those moments, she wrapped him in an embrace, waiting for the shakes and yelling to stop, conveying to him the intense love she felt for him, knowing he had nothing to fear or defend. Slowly he relaxed in her arms, clinging to her and whimpering, and she stroked his back, whispering soft words to him. She just hoped that in time he would open more to her, that the day would come when he’ll call her and her wife mommies. But there was no point in speeding it up.

"There you go, Jay-Jay," Alex said happily, placing a tall glass full of sweet and brown liquid in front of him, adding a curly straw. He smiled slightly and began to drink quietly.

They watched him drink, smiling, and Maggie's hand fumbled to find Alex's shoulder. She turned her head to her, her smile widening. Wordless communication passed between them and Maggie felt her heart flutter with joy, with love, as happened every time she looked at one of her happy family members. She had a family, a little circle of happiness in the shape of a little adorable girl, a soft boy who needs her love, and a beautiful woman who she woke up next to every day. She had everything she ever dreamed of - people who will love her and whom she will love back. Alex wrapped her arms around her, hugging tightly, conveying emotions that couldn't be described in words.

Maggie put her head on Alex's shoulder, her face to the window. She spotted a figure, dressed in black, standing on the sidewalk on the other side. She wasn't sure, but it seemed to be looking straight... into their house.

It's Halloween soon, she tried to calm herself down. Too many freaks roam the streets with their weird costumes. It's nothing.

But the figure continued to stand there. She wanted to go outside and see what it was all about, but before she could, the figure walked away, disappearing in an instant.

Maggie turned, forgetting the whole thing.

You’re just being paranoid, Sawyer.

~ ~ ~

"Sawyer!"

At the call of her name, Maggie turned, a cup of coffee in her hand. 

A uniform entered the breakroom, swinging an envelope. "To reference a hit 1998 movie, you’ve got mail."

She took it from his hand, looking at it. Besides her name, there was nothing else on the envelope. She took it and her cup back to her desk to open it.

It hadn’t been an easy morning. Alex had come home from work in the wee hours, and Maggie had ended up sleeping through her own alarm, ultimately giving herself even less time to get her two kids ready for school. She’d woken in alarm, leaped out of bed, and within a few minutes the house was filled with quick steps of her and her children who were trying to get ready in time.

"Mommy!" Jamie pouted as Maggie tried to convince her to put on boots. "I hate it! It makes me itchy," she shrugged irritably.

Maggie sighed. "I don't like it more than you, princess, but you have to put boots on. It’s very, very cold outside!"

It took a few more minutes of persuasion and pleading before Jamie finally agreed to wear her boots - and only after Maggie promised she would bring her a surprise when she returned from work. What that surprise was, she didn’t know and would have to think of something because Jamie would absolutely not forget.

Finally, everyone was ready and leaving the house, with only ten minutes of delay. Jay waited aside, wrapped in a jacket and scarf, hands in his pockets. Maggie drove them to school, waving them goodbye out the window. Jay rushed in, and Maggie smiled, relieved that this was a good sign that he loved his new school.

She sat down in her chair now, distractedly opening the envelope. Receiving letters at work wasn’t rare - thank you notes from people she’d helped were common, and there was sometimes anonymous information delivered in this way too, though that was rare. 

It was, however, neither. 

Yet it was one piece of paper that made her heart flutter wildly. She put a hand over her mouth, dropping the paper on the table.

On it were four different pictures, all of the same child.

All of Jay.

In the schoolyard. Playing ball with his friends. Jumping high, kicking and laughing.

The pictures were taken across the school fence. School, where he was supposed to be kept. protected. Jay's long hair was wrapped in rubber, as he always did when playing ball, and he looked enthusiastic, happy, as she had rarely seen him.

The person who took these pictures wanted to send her a message. They want to make it clear to her that they’re in an advantageous position. That if she doesn't do as they say, her son will be hurt. They know where her son is.

But nothing else was in that envelope. Not a single word.

She began to tremble, searching for water. She tried to breathe deeply. A few moments later, she picked up her phone.

"Alex," she murmured, trembling. "I need you. Now."

~ ~ ~

J’onn scanned the envelope, eyes reddening. "No sign of supernatural activity."

Maggie tugged her finger nervously. "That means no alien sent this envelope."

"Probably not." He said, handing her the envelope back. "Though you shouldn't discount the possibility. Have you checked for fingerprints?"

"I did every check. It arrived early in the morning, before the shift exchange at the station, and it's clean, like it’s just left the factory." She exhaled anxiously, exchanging a glance with Alex. Alex rubbed her eyes.

"What now?"

"Nothing. We have no way to find this person. To our knowledge, this could just be a morbid prank that someone is trying to pull off, and you two -" He looked at them warmly, "Go home to your kids. We'll worry when we know more."

Maggie nodded at him, and he hurried to leave, leaving the two alone. Alex leaned toward her, slowly wrapping Maggie's shoulders in her arms. Maggie sighed, her face tucked in Alex’s nack.

"The kids with Kara?"

She felt Alex nod.

"Did you tell her what happened?"

"No. I'll tell her later."

"Maybe we can ask her-"

"To watch over Jay?"

"Yes," Maggie raised her head slightly, her mouth resting just between Alex's jaw and ear. "To go there every now and then. See that he... that..."

"He's fine," Alex concluded, giving a soft kiss on Maggie's forehead.

"Who would want to hurt him? He's... he's just a kid..." Maggie shrugged, feeling her eyes get wet. Alex hugged her tighter. "We... we just got him, I can't - we can't - afford to lose him. I don't..." she breathed deeply. "I won't stand it, Alex."

"Shhh, we'll be fine. It's just a hoax. Nobody wants to hurt us." Alex pressed her lips to Maggie's temple. They remained there, speechless, trying to find comfort in the hug.

~ ~ ~

Two days went by, and Kara didn’t find any strange or unusual activities around Jay's school. She flew over there from time to time on her regular patrol, and sometimes even went to stand just outside the gate, in everyday clothes, to look as closely as possible.

Kara loved her nephews. Jamie and she got along great, as expected. They were two energy bombs that needed no excuse to sing Disney songs with loud voices around the house or burst into a continuous laugh. With Jay, too, Kara had been able to find common ground, whether in books she would read to him, or complex (non-violent, as his moms insisted) video games marathons he had managed to master at his young age. The kids didn’t know that Kara was Supergirl, out of concern they would blurt it out in unwanted places, but that didn’t stop them from admiring Supergirl like every child in the city, and Kara like any child who would want her as an aunt.

Maggie continued to wait for more envelopes. Something that would make it all clear to her. Who wanted to hurt her children, who knew things she would rather them not know. She became a little distracted at her job, wanting to finish her shift and return home to her family, where she could protect them. Alex was as worried as she was, and they were trying to get their lives back on track, to recover. A few days passed, and she convinced herself that it was indeed a hoax, and that there was no real danger to her children.

"One more story, mama," said Jamie, yawning, as Maggie tucked her into bed. Maggie smiled warmly, covering her with a blanket.

"You're tired, baby. Tomorrow."

"No, Mama, n…….ow," Another yawn interrupted her speech, and she curled up to her side. Maggie leaned in, clutching her lips to the girl's forehead.

"Goodnight, Jamie-Boops. Mama loves you."

"One more story, please..." Jamie's voice faded and her eyes closed. Maggie pulled her hair over her face, her smile widening. She turned to look at the other side of the room, where Jay was sitting on his bed, immersed in a picture book, looking at it to the light of the little night lamp. He loved animals very much, and as a boy with six or seven uncles and aunts, he got many gifts - books, toys and puppets, and clothes with cute graphics on them. He was now reading a book J’onn bought him, full of large pictures of various animals and interesting facts, which he could read slowly by himself.

"Lights out in half an hour, mister," She said.

He hummed something in response.

"Interesting book?"

He hummed again, in a different tone. She rolled her eyes affectionately. A cool gust of wind came from the open window above his bed and she leaned over to close it.

"No," He stopped her. "I love the cold."

"Your sister will freeze,"

"Just a few more minutes." He asked, and she relented.

"Okay. Mommy will come up to turn off the light and close the window. Goodnight, kiddo." She leaned in to kiss on the side of his forehead. He didn’t respond, absorbed in the book, and as she rose up, he wiped away the mark she had left. She snickered to herself. Who would have thought her child would be acting like a teenager even before he was six. He really was her kid. 

She got up and began to work her way through the toys on the floor to leave the room, when she heard him whisper out to her. She quickly turned around.

"Yes?"

He looked at her, reaching a thin hand to pull his long hair from his face. He had refused to get a haircut since arriving at their house, despite Alex's many pleas, swearing to Maggie that one day she would come and cut his hair at night. Maggie commented in a calculated tone (while soaping Alex's back in the shower) that if Alex came anywhere near her son's hair, she would be personally responsible for filing an assault complaint.

"Will aunt Kara come for dinner tomorrow?"

"Oh," Maggie hesitated. Kara usually didn’t come over Monday nights. "Do you want her to come?"

He picked up the book, his finger stuck in the middle. "I want to tell her about this. She'll love it."

Maggie smiled at him, moving cautiously in his direction among the toys on the ground. "I'll tell you what. If she can’t come, tomorrow I'll let you call her and tell her everything. Alright?"

Light flooded his face. "Thanks."

She reached for his shoulder. "Do you need anything else?"

He looked back at the book. "No, thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Jay."

She walked out of the room, finding Alex at the end of the hall, cleaning her gun at the living room table. The rule was that they wouldn’t take their guns out until the two children lay in bed, asleep.

"Jamie fell asleep after one story, Jay is still reading. I told him you would turn off the light. I am not going into that toy minefield again."

Alex didn't look up but hummed something in response. Even with the genetic differences between them, she and Jay somehow became very similar. Maggie sometimes wondered if this was why she fell in love with them both.

The doorbell rang.

That surprised them. Nobody was supposed to arrive at such an hour. If it was Kara, or any of their friends, they would have received a message or phone call beforehand. 

Unless something bad happened. 

They exchanged a suspicious look and Maggie quickly grabbed a gun hanging from a hidden holster by the door, looking through the peephole before opening the door. The street was empty.

She looked back, straight at Alex. "There’s nobody there," She murmured.

Alex rose quickly, grabbing another gun. Maggie opened the door and the two of them came out quietly and carefully, perfectly coordinated and surveyed the area. No one was seen around, just a thin layer of frost that covered everything, and on the step, an envelope.

White, thin, just like the one before it.

The color ran out of Maggie's face, and she looked at Alex, her mouth open in horror.

"Go inside." Said Alex, her director voice in action, her gun drawn. Maggie rushed in, trembling, not because of the cold. Alex walked away too, leaving the door open. She pulled out her watch, pressed the S button in its center, and closed the lid. She turned to Maggie, her eyes still wide, her heart pounding wildly.

"Hey, hey, that's okay." She reached for Maggie's shoulders, a gun tucked behind her pants. "Kara will be here in a minute and we'll fix this, okay? Hey," she wrapped Maggie cautiously. "Everything will be fine."

Maggie was still shaking but breathing deeply, trying to calm in Alex's safe arms.

They remained hugged in the doorway until a breeze caused them to turn. Kara rushed to them.

"What happened?"

Alex explained. "Someone rang the door. There was no one here but this envelope was waiting on the carpet."

Kara studied the envelope. "Well, It’s clean, from what I can see." She looked up at them. "Like the one before. It only contains a sheet of paper."

"What's on it?" Maggie managed to blurt out.

"It's a letter. I can't see exactly what's written in it, but it's safe to open."

Alex leaned over, grabbing the envelope. "Come on, let's go inside." She wrapped Maggie's shoulders as they walked in, Kara shutting the door behind her.

Maggie sat down on the couch, still trembling. She took a deep breath, trying to regain clarity while Alex opened the envelope carefully. Kara stood beside her, her hands crossed.

_"I took him. He’s mine, as he should have been from the beginning."_ Alex's voice faded in confusion. _"Human lives come first."_

She looked up, startled. “Took? As in..."

Maggie's heart stopped. She looked away from Alex to Kara, whose eyes widened in panic. The color drained out of Alex's face, the letter in her hands wrinkling. Kara leaped forward in a flash, disappearing into the kids' room. Alex and Maggie rushed after her.

Jamie slept peacefully in her bed, her thumb clasped between her lips. On the other side of the room, Jay's book was lying open on the floor, pages trembling in the wind that came through the open window. His blanket was a lump at the end of his bed, and the mattress was bare, horribly empty, and resembled, to Maggie, the black hole that was slowly opening in her stomach.

"God, no," she murmured, turning to Alex and turning back again. "No, no, no... no," She collapsed in front of Jay's bed, moving the pillow and blanket, looking under the bed, as if she’d find her son there. Kara walked over to Jamie's bed, lifting her carefully.

"I'll get her out of-"

"No." Alex's voice was cold, and she was obviously struggling to disguise her trembling. "Get out. Now. They couldn't get too far."  
Kara hurriedly to put the sleeping Jamie back to her bed, disappearing in another flash. Maggie stood up, sniffling, looking up at Alex. The white page was crumpled in her hands, her face became colorless, her chin shaking.

"The window..." Maggie murmured, her voice choked. "I didn't close the window. They came in... they took him."

Alex put a hand on her shoulder as the understanding sank deeper and deeper onto her. 

"They took him," Tears filled Maggie’s eyes. "I didn't close the window and they came in... It’s all-"

"Don't say that," Alex's voice broke and she squeezed Maggie's shoulder. "Don't you dare say that. It wasn’t your fault, none of it. We will find the ones who took him, and we’ll bring him home. Do you hear me?" Alex's voice grew stronger and she reached out to hold Maggie's face in her hands. 

Maggie nodded as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Alex put her lips to Maggie’s forehead, as she silently prayed that Kara will find Jay fast, safe and sound.

"I'll call J’onn."

“Mommy?"

Alex let out a first sob, shaking her head. She hurried to Jamie's bed.

"Yes, babygirl?"

"Is it morning yet?" Jamie spoke slowly, her eyes still closed. Alex stroked her forehead, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Not yet, honey," Alex whispered. "Not yet." She placed a kiss on her daughter’s forehead, hoping that the little girl wouldn’t feel the tremble of her lips. Jamie was a smart kid, she’d surely figure things out soon enough. Kids were sensitive, and seeing her mommies scared, the two people in her life that would always get rid of all the scary spiders, or bravely look for any monsters under the bed, would only terrify Jamie.

Monsters under the bed.

Alex fights back the tears at that thought, at the thought that they’d let the monster in.

She waited until Jamie fell back asleep before checking, and then double-checking, that the window, and all other windows upstairs are secure.

~ ~ ~

Kara came back thirty minutes later, with J’onn next to her. 

They stood in the living room, J’onn's face dour, arms crossed. Kara rubbed her eyes anxiously.

"Nothing." Said J’onn. "We scanned the entire city and area within a hundred-mile radius. I tried to listen for his thoughts everywhere, but couldn't locate him. Someone probably blocked them, or he’s not here anymore."

"What about his heartbeat?" Alex’s hand placed on Maggie's shoulder, looking at Kara. 

Kara shook her head. "Nothing." Her forehead was still wrinkled anxiously but her voice was stern. "Whoever took him knew who they’re dealing with. They must have been preparing for us trying to find him." She looked straight at her sister, whose nose was red. "I'm so sorry, Alex... Maggie," she stepped forward, wrapping them in her strong arms. 

"We'll find him, I promise." She whispered.

"We have to hurry up if we want to find him before... bef..." Maggie choked, unable to say the words. "We have to find him." She looked at Alex, her eyes wet again.

"So let's get to work."

A DEO agent was called to the house to keep an eye on Jamie.

It was already three in the morning, and the control room monitors were all busy searching for supernatural activity that would give away the kidnapper's location.

"We don't even know it's an alien," Alex said. "There were no signs of any extra normal activity in any of the envelopes we received."

"I still feel there's something extra normal here." Kara folded her hands, leaning with her back on the main control table. "How did they manage to get away so quickly? And remove every sign of them in minutes? There's something here that a human being can't do."

"Rick Malverne managed it."

Maggie walked around the room, her fingers frantic with pressure. Her eyes burned with fatigue, but she had no chance of falling asleep. Not until her son will be home, safe and sound.

"Let's back up," J’onn looked at the flickering monitors. "How many people are we talking about here?"

"One," Maggie said immediately. "The letter read 'I'."

"So one person?"

"Maybe, I don’t know.” And that was the problem. The uncertainty of it all.

Kara waved her hands. "We need to narrow down the list of suspects."

Alex and Maggie exchanged looks, and Maggie sighed softly, closing her eyes.

"Maggie? Alex?"

"It's not just a suspect list of all the people who want to harm us," Maggie heard Alex say exactly her thoughts, and in all the confusion and rage and guilt, she felt relieved that there was at least one person in this world who always understood exactly what she was thinking. "This person wants Jay. We're talking about someone who probably knows him, who wants him." She paused for a moment, turning. "The phrase 'human lives comes first' also indicates that this person is xenophobic. They want Jay. Because he’s an alien."  
There was silence, and only occasional beeps and murmurs of agents still wandering around the facility were in the background. Alex didn't have to continue her sentence so everyone would understand what she was saying.

The person who took Jayson could very easily kill him.

"They didn't even ask for ransom," Maggie whispered, and Kara closed her eyes in horror. 

"We'll find him." J’onn said in his low, calming voice, the one that Maggie always found security in. Now, his words were empty, and she felt herself falling, helpless.

Breathe.

She needed to breathe.

~ ~ ~

No one said anything as she left the room, desperate to reach the big balcony. Maggie fought the tears that threatened to escape her eyes. She can’t cry in public, especially not in here, the DEO.

She had to be strong, a leader. 

She leaned against the concrete railing, her closed eyes wetting again. For a few moments, She wished to be Kryptonian, to hear every sound from miles away, to see through walls, to turn every stone in this city until she found her son. To be strong enough to watch over him better.

A hand was placed on her back, and she felt her body soften, like a magic touch. She turned, burying her face in Alex's shoulder, both of them silent.

"Look at me."

Maggie lifted her head with effort, Alex's eyes were red, from tiredness or crying, or both, wrinkles of grief on the sides of her face. Alex's thumbs sent to wipe Maggie's cheek softly, and she tried not to break.

"We'll find him, you hear me? We'll turn every corner, take every officer and every agent we can muster. We’ll call on government help if need be. We have the connections, and we're going to give this guy everything we have." A bitter smile, like a spark of hope trying to set a fire lit on Alex's face. “They have no idea who they’re dealing with."

Maggie's chin began to tremble again, and Alex hurried to wrap her back up.

"We'll get our son back." Maggie could hear her voice breaking a little, and she held on to her tighter, like a rescue ladder in a sea storm. She rocked back and forth on the ladder, the rain hitting her face, praying with all her might that she wouldn’t fall back into the water.

~ ~ ~

"Danvers," Alex shot tiredly into her phone. Maggie picked her head from the documents she had been examining for the past few hours, looking at her wife.

They stayed in DEO for the night, looking for any trace they could follow. Other abducted aliens, an activity of aliens on the social network and online, raising and rejecting options for people they knew and people they didn't, anything that might point them to the person who kidnapped Jay. Winn arrived at five o'clock, bleary-eyed but ready to work, sitting down at his computer and typing nonstop.

"I see. Thank you. We'll be right there." Alex tapped her phone, put it back in her pocket. "Jamie woke up. She's fine, but we better get there."

"I want her to be with family, at this time." Maggie said as they got into the car on the way home. Alex tightened her hands on the steering wheel. Maggie didn't have to go on for Alex to understand what she meant.

"I don't want to call my mom until things get serious."

"Things are serious, Alex."

"The procedure-"

"Fuck the procedure. Our son has been abducted. Your mom should know about this. She should be here."

Alex was silent, her eyes on the road, and Maggie sighed.

"I'll call her." Maggie said after a minute of silence.

"Wait." As they approached the house, Alex slowed the car down. She parked, breathing deeply. "That’s on me. I'll talk to her."

Maggie nodded and got out of the vehicle, and they headed into the house. Alex stopped her before entering the door, her hand groping after Maggie's.

"I'm sorry."

Maggie looked at her softly, her grip tightening. "You have nothing to be sorry about, honey-"

"No, I..." Alex shook her head. "I just don't want to worry her. I know it's not my fault, but she'll worry anyway, and I... I-"

"She'll be fine." Maggie tiptoed to give a fluttering kiss on Alex's pale cheek.

Alex nodded, and they walked in, hands intertwined.

"Moms!" Jamie jumped at the sight of her mothers coming in, her upper lip covered with a thin line of milk. "The man told me that Mommy Alex said not to worry, so I didn't worry!" She stated proudly. "And he made me cereal!" 

Behind her, Agent Duke smiled lightly, but straightened up at the sight of Alex at the door.

Maggie picked up Jamie, squeezing her in a hug. "Mommy and mama are very proud of you, baby," she murmured. Alex nodded to the agent, signing him to leave, and he went out quickly. They remained standing at the entrance, Jamie embraced between her two moms, who were clinging to her like a last line of sanity.

"Where were you?" Jamie tried to pull away. "And where's Jay? Did he go with you?" She looked around, looking for her brother. Maggie's heart fell again, her stomach swirling.

"He... he had to go somewhere, pumpkin," she had already decided the course of action in front of Jamie along with Alex, a few hours ago. Don't make her panic, and make sure she only knows the truth when she has to. "He'll be back soon."

Jamie got out of the double hug and jumped down to the floor. "Oh. okay," she said neutrally, painfully unaware. She went to the kitchen to finish her cereal, and Maggie turned to Alex.

"Call your mom. Kara can go get her. I'll arrange Jamie."

Alex nodded, carving a smile.

After Jamie was taken to kindergarten, they both stayed to work from home. Alex sat at the kitchen table, looking at documents, while Maggie made phone calls, trying to find a tip through her connection with the police. It seemed that hours upon hours of work had not led them in any direction, and Alex sighed loudly, leaning back.

"Thanks." Maggie hung up and sat down next to her.

"You look tired. You wanna go to sleep? You haven't slept all night."

"Nor have you."

"You take the first shift." The tips of Maggie's lips rose slightly and she put a hand on her wife's shoulder. Alex looked at her, her jaw stiffening.

"How am I supposed to sleep?" She whispered. "How am I supposed to close my eyes when he's out there, imprisoned, hungry, scared..." She closed her eyes in pain. "They did something to him. Otherwise, Kara and J’onn would have found him already. And we… we promised we would protect him. And now-"

A knock on the door stopped her. Her eyes widened and they both ran to the door, Maggie almost stumbling and falling on her way.

Eliza and Kara stood in the doorway. Alex let out a gasp, Maggie's eyes sealed. Eliza stepped forward hesitantly, carrying a travel bag.

"My girls," she murmured, her eyes full of sorrow. She put down her bag and spread her arms. Maggie and Alex pulled in, and Alex breathed deeply, feeling herself, in spite of everything, get filled with comfort from the scent of her mom. Eliza squeezed their shoulders hard, releasing a moment later.

"Why don't you go to sleep? You both look so tired. I will look after things here."

They looked at each other. Just a moment ago they were debating who would go to bed first. And maybe, if they went to bed together, it would save them some time. Maggie looked at her watch, emitting an involuntary yawn.

"Okay. We'll go to bed for a few hours. I'll get up to take Jamie out of school. Kara, I need you to go through there and make sure she's fine. Every once in awhile, just to see she’s okay.”

"On it." Kara stood aside, as if waiting for instructions, and now nodded to Maggie's words and was about to leave.

"Wait," Alex said. "After that, can you go back to Catco? We can use your connections as a reporter to figure out who's behind it."

Kara nodded again. "I've already talked to James and Nia. Both of them are on it now, I'll go help them."

Eliza clung her palms together, looking around. The house was messy, toys and books were scattered everywhere, and the kitchen was full of dirty dishes. Since yesterday evening, none of the people in the house had any intention of arranging the place. "You both go to sleep. I'll take care of things here."

"Thanks, Mom," Alex kissed her mom's cheek. She knew it wouldn't hurt their house to get some good hands to clean it, nor was there anything else that Eliza could do now. She put a gentle hand on her wife's back, and they went into the bedroom, lying on the bed in their clothes. Despite everything, they fell asleep in an instant, without saying a word, Alex's face snuggling on Maggie's shoulder in a comforting position, their fingers intertwined.

~ ~ ~

"Mrs. Sawyer!" Jamie's kindergarten teacher looked surprised, but still smiled kindly. "You got here early today. We only finish in half an hour."

"Yes, but my wife's mom in town. We wanted to come to pick her up for lunch." Maggie got on her toes to find her daughter among all the kids running around the yard. Those things, of course, were lies, but she didn’t want to get into the whole 'my son was kidnapped and I’m trying to keep my second child as close to me as possible', especially not with Jamie's kindergarten teacher. She finally noticed Jamie's braids in the corner of her eye and quickly raised a hand to wave. The three-year-old ran to her, her dimples winking.

“Mommy!”

“Hey sweetie,” Maggie picked her up before turning back to Mrs. Johnson. “That’s okay, right?”

The teacher smiles. “Of course.”

“Great.” Maggie knew her smile back is forced, strained beyond belief but she needs to push through, to pretend that everything is okay. She’s usually good at bottling her feelings but that bottle is chipped, ready to shatter at any given minute. She held onto her daughter, feeling her tiny arms wrapped around her neck. “You wanna see Grandma?”

“Yeah!”

~ ~ ~

Normal.

They try to keep things as normal as possible for Jamie’s sake. 

Eliza had helped tidy up the house, and the agents that guarded their house and patrolled the neighborhood were in plain clothes. Jamie was an inquisitive kid, she liked asking questions - they had to keep that to a minimum.

Thankfully, she’s also a kid and kids were easy to distract.

“What movie would you like to watch, dear?” Eliza asks, with a stack of Disney DVDs. The child chirped and started to hop up and down, listing her favorite ones as Eliza nods and laughs at all the right places.

Content that their daughter was suitably distracted, Alex sneaked off to the garage.

“She’s watching Nemo, she’s good.”

“She said anything about Jay yet?”

Alex shook her head. “No.” 

“Okay,” Maggie said. “It’s just-”

“A matter of time, yeah. I know, babe.” And Alex also knew that time was crucial here. The first seventy-two hours were the most crucial in every missing persons inquiry. “What have we got?”

There’s defeated expressions all around the workbench, their makeshift intel table.

“Nothing?” She looked at Kara, at Winn, at J’onn, at Brainy - she doesn’t look at her wife because she knows that look of resignation will be the one to shatter her.

It’s J’onn that manages to say it. “No. It… it’s like they were a ghost. No fingerprints, no footprints, no fibers, no tire tracks. And nobody saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. Nothing.”

“A professional,” Alex concluded.

“Or,” Brainy raised a finger. “An alien. One with speed or stealth, or both, capabilities.”

God knows Alex had pissed off many an alien in her time. So had Maggie. Even narrowing it down to one or two species wouldn’t narrow it down. They really had noth-

Maggie’s phone rings.

All eyes turn to it.

Her hand started shaking as she reached for it. Alex turn to her, looking over her shoulder. 

“Private caller.”

Brainy pulled his tablet out, ready to trace. 

Maggie swallowed, isn’t able to answer, and hands it to Alex.

Alex’s voice is stern, ready. ‘“Who is this?”

“Mama?”

Jay. His sweet little voice makes it that little bit easier to breathe. She closed her eyes, stiffing a sob. “Oh, god... Sweety? Are you okay?”

“Mama, where are you?”

“I’m at home, baby. With mommy. And we’ll be coming to get you soon.”

“Mama, I don’t like-”

And that’s it. The phone is snatched away. “He’s fine. And he’ll always be fine. I won’t hurt him.” A male voice. Gruff. American, tinged with an accent that she can’t quite put her finger on.

“No,” Alex’s knuckles whitened. “No, you don’t get to take my kid like that.”

“Yours? I don’t think so. I know he’s not yours.”

It wouldn’t take much to find out that Jay was adopted. Alex refused to fall for those mind games. She of all people knew that blood didn’t make a family. “Bring him back to us now, or you will regret it.”

“Not going to happen. And I wouldn’t bother looking for him either. I might not hurt him, but I will hurt you, if you keep looking for me. Or… your family. I got into your house once already, what's stopping me from doing that again?”

“Try it.” Alex breathed through gritted teeth.

He laughed. “I know you’ve got all your agency buddies there. I’m not stupid.”

“Taking Jay is the stupidest thing you could ever do, so I disagree.”

“Yeah, well, whatever. Leave us be. This doesn’t concern you.” He pauses. “Don’t look for him. Actually, you better forget about him. For your own good.”

“You son of a-”

“Say goodbye, Jayson.”

“Mama? I miss-”

And that’s it. 

End of call. 

Alex stared at the device, the faint, short sounds so distant now, as she looked at her wife. Maggie’s hands were clasped to her mouth, her eyes petrified. Alex turned to Winn and Brainy, but noticed the thin line of Brainy’s mouth, the quiet curse that leaves Winn’s lips. 

They couldn’t trace the call.

Kara lifted her head, her jaw loosen up a bit. Alex noticed a piece of metal in her hand, crushed as it was playdough.

“I have an idea.” 

~ ~ ~ 

According to Kara, the call was the best thing they could ever have asked for.

Though, first, they have to call in a favor.

“We would like to see Miss Luthor.”

The LCorp receptionist almost laughs at the very sentence. Instead, she settled with a polite, condescending smile. “Miss Luthor doesn’t see walk-ins, her schedule is very full.”

Alex knows that. Alex also knows the hurt that they’d caused Lena a few years ago, her questionable experiments causing the working relationship the DEO had with Lena’s company, along with their friendship, to fracture before it’s ultimately severed. Coming here unannounced and out of the blue offered a better chance of being heard than a phone call that would go unanswered. “Tell her it’s Alex Danvers and that it’s very important.”

Almost begrudgingly, the receptionist picked up the phone. A few rings. “Miss Luthor? Alex Danvers is here to see you… yes, of course.” She covered the mouthpiece to ask. “What is the nature of this visit?”

“We need her help.” Alex swallowed the lump in her throat. “Please, we really need her help.”

~ ~ ~

As questionable as some of her ethics have been in recent years, Lena still has a heart.

That was why they had come. They may have disagreed with many of her practices, but they knew that she wasn’t a monster, and knew that she was a good person that just wanted to do good things. Her unwillingness to stop her experiments despite an increasing body count had been too much to excuse, even as she’d tried to claim it was for the greater good.

Now it was time to see if she really believed in life being precious.

Alex squeezed Maggie’s hand as the doors of the private elevator closed and they ascended. They’re greeted by Lena’s assistant, who’s young, polite and very smiley. “Hi! Follow me.”

Lena, who’s sat at her desk, is anything but. “What do you want, Mrs. Danvers?” She asks as her assistant leaves them alone.

“Your help,” Alex said. “We want - need - your help.”

The Luthor’s gaze remains steely, barely giving them her attention from above her laptop. “That’s unfortunate. I thought you were here to apologize.”

Apologizing was something Alex would be damned if she did, because apologizing would mean that she regretted cutting her out of their life. Yet Alex, right now, was damned. Very much so. She does, however, her best to sidestep that. “Look, Lena. Our kid has taken. Someone has him, and we don’t have any leads. This isn’t about us. This is about an innocent child who, right now, is very scared and alone, and… we just want to get him back.”

And there it was. The slightest of softening of Lena’s features. “You have a child?”

“Two,” Maggie said. “Our daughter, Jamie, and our son, Jayson. We adopted him, and he’s-” Her voice catches. “He’s the one that’s gone.”

“No leads?”

“We wouldn’t be here if we had anything to go on,” Alex admitted. “But we do have something that we, maybe, could go on.” 

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, finds the recording of that call and plays it. Her heart hurt at Jay’s scared and confused little voice, the one she heard so many times since a few hours ago, in efforts to figure out that accent. She tried her best to tune it out, to focus on Lena’s reaction and, as expected, sees the stoic facade falter.

“Whoever has Jay has a slight accent,” Alex explained as the recording ended. “We’ve put it through our own database and we’ve had no matches. Our database, however, is incomplete.” Fucking budget issues. “I believe LCorp has a similar database and that…” She took a deep breath. “That’s why we’re here.”

Lena didn’t hesitate. She looked directly at Alex, nodding once. “Of course. Send me that audio file.”

~ ~ ~

The audio is analyzed as Maggie and Alex wait in Lena’s office. They’re hands still haven’t left each other’s, a pinch of comfort in the whirlwind they’re in.

“It’s almost been twenty-four hours,” Alex stated the obvious. She looked into Maggie’s eyes, reaching to wipe them. She didn’t need to keep going - they both felt the same. Big waves of anxiety crashing and falling, waiting for this nightmare to end.

The door opened, and Lena walked in. They’ve been here for a couple of hours now, and she looked tired, but she carried a stack of papers. The answer.

Alex flung herself off the couch. Maggie hurried to follow. Lena sits at her desk, sighing.

“Well?”

Lena picked up her head, looking at Alex. “You better sit.”

They both sit down, Alex’s heart pounded in her chest. This could be the lead they’ve been looking for.

“I’m afraid the system hasn’t picked on anything out of the ordinary. Nothing explicitly regional, and certainly nothing extra-terrestrial.” She looked at Alex, then at Maggie, a truly sorry look on her face. “I’m sorry, Alex. I tried my best.”

“Wait, so that’s it?” Maggie looked from Lena to Alex and back. “That’s all you got? I mean…” She shook her head fiercely, shocked. “This was our only lead! And you’re saying it’s worth nothing?”

Lena breathed deeply, handing them the papers. “This is what I could get. But from my experience, it means nothing. There’s nothing even remotely identifiable about this man’s voice.” She bit her lip. “The most probable conclusion is that he’s from this planet, but even that cannot be absolutely certain.”

Maggie flipped through the papers.

Alex kept looking at Lena. “Is there any device, technology, anything, that you could use to try and find him? Anything?”

Lena’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Alex. I’m afraid not.”

Alex looked at Maggie, who nodded tiredly. Her voice was chocked when she spoke. “Thank you, Miss Luthor.” She got up and left the room, without looking at any of them. Alex got up after her, looking at Lena.

“Thanks.”

Lena just nodded, and Alex hurried after her wife.

“Maggie.”

Maggie turned to her, tears in her eyes. “So now what?”

The elevator opened in front of them, and they got inside. Alex put her hand on Maggie’s lower back, not knowing how to answer. They tried everything. She felt her wife’s ragged breath on her shoulder and pulled in, trying to find some comfort. Her heart buzzed, longing to be wrapped in the arms of her loved ones, to feel her sweet boy that had brought so much joy and love into their home, to smell his freshly washed long hair, to run her thumbs over his scraped knees. 

“Babe,” she said softly. Maggie looked up at her.

“Let’s go home.”

~ ~ ~

They get home early in the evening. Jamie seemed content, after spending the day with her grandmother, and kept babbling about what they did, the movies they watched and the games they played. They both try to listen, to smile, to cooperate with their daughter everlasting cheerfulness.

Eliza has ordered pizza, enough for them too.

Neither of them were hungry but, for the sake of appearances in front of Jamie, they belatedly join the meal, taking their seats on the floor as another movie plays, the sequel to Nemo, Finding Dory.

That particular movie choice is too on the nose. 

Maggie got up and left after only ten minutes, in tears.

“Mommy?”

Shit. “Mom, can you-” Alex gestured with her hands.

“Of course, dear,” Eliza nodded.

“Mommy?”

It broke her heart but Alex had to ignore her daughter, had to rush after her wife, leaving Jamie even more confused in the process. As she headed upstairs, she heard the most gut-wrenching question being asked to Grandma.

“Why was mommy sad?”

Alex was two steps from the top when the even worse follow-up came.

“Was it something I did?”

Alex didn’t wait around to hear anymore. She followed her intuition and found Maggie in the kids’ room, on Jay’s bed and holding Frederick, Jay’s favorite stuffed bear.

“He’s gonna be missing him.” The bear had once belonged to Jamie but, after seeing him struggling to sleep that first night, she had gifted him it. The sight that following morning had warmed their hearts, as had the two’s blossoming friendship. Even though she was the younger one, she was the protective sister, who helped him come out of his shell. They were inseparable. “We’re going to have to tell her.”

“I know, and we will.” She reached over to ruffle the bear’s furry head, which was starting to become a little threadbare. “Look at him. Dude’s going bald.”

That prompted a little laugh. “He needs a wig.”

“Or hairplugs.”

Another laugh. “Or a hat. We can get Grandma to knit one.”

“Yeah,” Alex smiled. “We can.”

That little light moment faded. “He could be anywhere.”

“I know, babe.”

“And he could… he could be…” She can’t even bring herself to say it.

All Alex could do is repeat herself. “I know.” And she did know. There were many possible scenarios but only two outcomes - good or bad. “They’re still out looking.” They being Kara and her friends that had readily accepted her call - her cousin; Barry Allen; and Kate Kane to name just a few. The merging of Earths had given them a staggering army of heroes to call on if needed. And they really needed them right now.

~ ~ ~

They take some time to themselves, planning what to say and how to say it. A few phone calls to the NCPD social worker and advice from J’onn helped them form the right path, the right words to use. 

Then, as delicately as they could, tell Jamie what was really happening. She sat on Alex’s knees, Maggie’s hand reaching out to caress her hair as she spoke, her tone as calm and quiet as can be. Jamie was silent for a while before she spoke.

“Supergirl is going to find him, right?”

As much as Alex wanted to say yes, she was realistic. “She’s going to try her best. Her and all her friends are.”

Yet Jamie is sure. “She’s going to find him. Supergirl always saves the day.”

Alex hoped her daughter was right. She hugged her little daughter, her brave, so hopeful, so positive, little daughter, and kissed her forehead.

“I sure hope you’re right, Jamie-doll.”

~ ~ ~

An hour or so after they put Jamie to bed, they get a call.

They’re in the DEO, in the conference room with laptops, phones and other devices that worked non-stop. Alex’s phone is on one of the tables, interrupting someone’s words. All heads turned, and silence fell over the room.

Alex fumbled for the phone. “It’s Kara.”

“Answer it.”

Alex didn’t need telling twice, answering and putting it on speakerphone. “Hey-”

“We might have something.”

“Go.”

“One of Brainy’s friends, Krevin, works at a gas station, said there was a car that stopped there about twenty minutes ago, with a kid in the backseat that matched Jay’s description. The kid seemed to be asleep.” An amber alert had been swiftly issued, with Jay’s photo appearing on every news bulletin that day. “He called Brainy. We headed over and we have a number plate and… and an ID.”

The asshole made the mistake of paying by card. Yet…

Maggie beat Alex to it. “Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing?”

Kara’s tone had been somber with that revelation and still was as she explained further. “Krevin knows the guy. He’s...he’s anti-alien.” 

That… that wasn’t ideal. Even if predictable.

“You have a name?”

She heard brainy’s voice, calculated and informative. 

“His name is Roland Dangler.”

Roland Dangler. Why did it sound familiar? Maybe she arrested him once before.

Maggie looked at Winn. "Find this guy. Find him, and what he has with my son."

Winn typed in his computer silently, his eyes focused. After a few seconds, he shook his head.

"Found him," He said, looking up at Alex and Maggie. "But you’re not going to like the answer."

~ ~ ~

"His father?"

"He hasn’t been in the picture for years, probably since the pregnancy. There aren’t many details about him in the adoption file, but his name and last place of residence are enough for us to find him." Alex's hold on the phone tightened. She heard Kara sigh on the other side.

"Brainy and I are on our way."

Jay's adoption file was brought to them at top speed, and Maggie pulled the right page out of the thin folder. Alex leaned over her shoulder as they read.

**Birth Mother's name - Marianne Cortez. Species - Alien (Plant of origin- Durla)**

**Birth Father's name - Roland Dangler. Species - Human (Plant of origin- Earth)**

"Dangler," Alex murmured, her fists clenched in anger. She will find this son of a bitch, and crush his skull to dust. Jayson was theirs, by law, and that man gave up his right to have him the day he left. In front of her, Maggie exhaled.

"Okay, guys. We have a license plate, we have a name, we have an ID." Maggie stood in front of the main screen, looking at everyone. "It shouldn't take long before we find him. Let's get to work."

Fifteen minutes later, Kara and Brainy showed up. Alex nodded to her sister stoically as she entered the room and went to stand by her. Often in such cases, they would hug, trying to find comfort in moments of sadness, of frustration, but Alex didn’t need comfort now. She needed professionalism, seriousness. Kara knew it. Alex noticed that her hand still had the twisted piece of metal, like a stress ball between her fingers.

“So we have an anti-alien guy who marries an alien?” Alex crosses her hands as she leans against the table, looking puzzled.

“Durlans are known for their shapeshifting powers,” Said J’onn. “I can assume she shapeshifted to hide her identity, until…”

“Until one day he finds out and leaves her.”

J’onn nodded. Maggie crossed her arms as well, her eyes narrowing as she broke down her assumptions. “Then one day he finds out she was pregnant, that she had his child. And now he wants him back.”

“But if he’s anti-alien, why would he want his half-alien son back?”

Alex and Maggie exchanged glances, and J’onn eventually was the one to answer.

“He hates aliens. Even if it’s his own son. Especially if it’s his own son. Who knows the kind of hateful actions a person like this can do, even to their own blood.”

They all looked at each other, faces full of worry, of disbelief, when they heard Winn call out. 

"Hey, hey, woah, okay," He typed fast on his keyboard. 

Maggie walked over to him quickly, looking over his shoulder. "Is that what I think it is?"

A security camera film appeared on the screen, and the time signature was about an hour ago. They saw a highway road near an abandoned factory, and a rather large car, similar to the description they received from Krevin. Winn continued typing, and the camera focused on the license number, the film freezing on the spot. They matched.

"Is there a photo of the suspect?"

Winn continued typing. The film ran back and forth at high speed, following the vehicle. Finally, the vehicle parked, and the driver stepped outside. His face was visible in the streetlamp light as he opened the trunk, taking out large garbage bags and a wooden box.

"Bam," Winn murmured, and the camera focused right on the man's face. He was a bearded man, in his forties, in a dirty gray sweatshirt and a black beanie.

"He's not very smart, to stand exposed like that in front of security cameras right after he kidnapped a child." Said Kara.

"Oh, no, he cut them off. Or at least, he thinks he cut them off." Winn continued typing. "But there aren't many devices that can evade my... schotts," He looked at Alex, who gave him a blank look. "Too soon? Okay. In any case, he is a professional, no doubt about it. And he works with technology that is unattainable on Earth. Fortunately for us," Winn pressed one key decisively, and the exact spot of the abandoned factory flashed red on a map. "So are we."

"Run it back," Alex said, leaning over. The film ran back and showed Roland going out of the car again, taking things out of the trunk, carrying them beyond the camera's range of vision. A minute or two later he returned, opening the back door. Alex tried not to blink.

A boy in an oversized sweater, blue pajama pants and no shoes on, was loaded on Dangler's back like a battered potato sack. The boy didn’t object, and he seemed to be unconscious. It was like a punch straight to Alex's ribs, and for a second, she forgot how to breathe. The man carried Jay beyond sight, leaving the vehicle behind him.

"Do you have a live feed of the arena?" Alex's voice seemed to come from a distance, outside her body. She kept her expression focused, while inside everything caught fire, wishing for her son to be in her arms again. She heard Winn humming something, and another screen of the same location appeared on the screen.

"He's still there." Maggie straightened up quickly. "We need to get going."

~ ~ ~

The armory was full of agents Alex instructed to arm up and get ready for the strike. She and Maggie walked in, going straight to the hanger full of vests. Alex helped Maggie tighten her vest on her body, pulling and straightening.

"Are you nervous?"

Maggie didn't look at her from the zipper she was trying to zip. "No."

Alex was silent, but raised an eyebrow. Maggie tugged one last time into the heavy black vest, sighing.

"Maybe. But... it doesn't matter." She whispered. Her eyes went up to meet Alex. "I just want him back. It's not about us. It's about him. I just want him back now."

Alex nodded to her, sneaking a quick kiss to her forehead in the room full of people. She wanted to say words of encouragement, something like it’ll be fine, we’re gonna find him, it would all be over soon, but knew she couldn't promise anything. She was realistic.

All she could do was hope.

"Okay, everyone," Alex's voice wasn't loud, but all the agents fell silent immediately. Alex looked around gravely, nodding. "We're out to rescue a kidnapped child. He is half an alien, almost six years old, long hair. He will be wearing a gray hoodie and blue pajama pants. Probably unconscious. The kidnapper is in his forties, and might be working alone. We don't know much about him." She breathed deeply. "What we do know is that he is extremely dangerous, and uses technology that equals ours. We have to be extremely careful, alert and prepared for any scenario."

Her agents listened intently.

"Follow my instructions, and don’t try to play the hero. Nothing is more important than that child." The agents stood taut, nodding as she looked at them. She trained most of them herself, aware of their abilities. She hoped they wouldn’t disappoint her. “Am I clear?”

“Yes, director!” They called in unison.

"You have five minutes. Gear up."

She turned to Maggie, who was already strapped with weapons and protective gear, ready for departure. She noticed a small smile on her face. "Even with all this... chaos, that’s going on," she heard her murmur, feeling gloved fingers groping for hers. "I have to admit. I couldn't go through with anyone in the world but you."

Alex felt her heart warming up, even for just a second. She squeezed Maggie's fingers hard, her chest throbbing a little. All she could do was nod, look into her wife's eyes, where she always knew she would find the answer to all her problems. 

Danvers and Sawyer.

Sawyer and Danvers.

They had been a team since the very beginning. 

Sawyer-Danvers.

Now, they were a family, a family that was stronger together, a family that was about to be reunited.

“Let’s bring him home.”

~ ~ ~

Their approach is careful.

Each exit is covered, heavily, and agents are on stand-by, ready to move on in if given the signal. Yet it’s only Alex and Maggie that’s heading in - they couldn’t risk spooking him, for Jay’s sake.

Their guns are drawn low, their footsteps are measured and slow as they stay close to each other. Visibility is poor but it only heightens their other senses. “This way,” Alex whispered as she picked up on the hum of a generator. 

The sound led them past rotting wooden shipping crates, to the western side of the factory. As they’d seen on the blueprints, there was a heavy door that a staircase hid behind. 

“Up or down?” Maggie asked.

Alex took a breath, focussed on the faint sounds. “Down.”

So they headed down.

And they heard him.

Not Jay, but Dangler.

The man paced and rambled, most of his words too fast to make out. Most. They heard the word ‘alien’ a bunch. There were tables, some old computers making mechanical noises. Lots of pipes. The man continued to mutter as he pressed various buttons on a device they couldn’t see. Jay sat on the floor, awake, a frightened look in his eyes, looking sideways repeatedly. They noticed he was tied, with a long rope tied to a metal loop on the floor.

“Just him?” Maggie whispered.

“I think so.” They were crouched behind an old rusty barrell, ten feet away from their man. “What do you think?”

Maggie gave it thought. “Move in.”

Alex too mulled it over. It did just appear to be just him. They could swoop in. corner him and have it all over with. Yet it all seemed too easy, too convenient. She eyed some crates to her right. “Or, I go that way. Sneak around him. We take him from both sides. Pincer movement.”

“Go for it.”

Alex made a move.

Dangler was too busy in his own frenzied, hateful state that he didn’t notice her sneaking around.

But Jay did.

“Mama?” His little voice so hopeful.

And that got Dangler’s attention, snapped him out of it. “Where?”

The kid didn’t understand, he just pointed in her direction as if it was all a game of hide and seek. “There! Mama’s there.”

“Well, mama should come out,” Dangler said. “Preferably right now.”

Alex held her breath. She didn’t want to, obviously, but she felt she had to. From where she was, she couldn’t see if he was armed, or how close he was to Jay or-

“Mommy’s also here.” Maggie emerged from the shadows and charged at him, tackling him to the ground. He wasn’t going down without a fight and though winded, fought back, a scuffle breaking out. Maggie aimed her gun at his head, but he sent a punch to her ribs, her shoulder, trying to get her off of him. They fumbled, and he managed to turn her around to the floor.

Alex ran over to help her wife but was stopped by the barrel of a gun.

Another man. “I wouldn’t move.”

Jay started to cry.

Alex’s hands shook as she raised them. “Maggie.”

Maggie stopped fighting but, however, it appeared to be through injury rather than will, as blood trickled down her leg.

Dangler laughed as he wiped a bloodied blade down his jeans. “You fought it’d be that easy? You’re stupid.”

“Momm-”

“Shut up!” He yelled, prompting Jay’s wails to intensify.

“Oh boo hoo, you little freak.”

Freak. Alex didn’t just hate that word but also hated the way it was sneered. “You know who he is and yet you treat him like that?”

Dangler narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s exactly why I treat him like that. Because of who he is. A little freak.”

“How could you say that? You’re his birth father! He’s your blood!”

“Well,” He looked at Jay, a crazy spark in his eyes. “Half a freak, then. Didn’t plan on him. But now that he’s here, I can’t have my own blood mixed with her’s,” He almost spat the word with contempt. “But not for long.”

The words made Alex’s blood boil. “And who’s this guy?” Her eyes flicked over to the man to her left, the one holding the 9mm. “Huh?”

“A friend,” Dangler replied. “There’s a bunch of us out there, all fighting the good fight.”

She didn’t even have to ask, she knew the answer. She also knew the distances around her, and knew that she could, if she was just that fraction closer, disarm the friend and be in the driver’s seat. “This isn’t the good fight,” she said calmly, as she slowly shifted her left foot. “This is hatred.”

The hateful man just grinned. “Call it what you will, that boy is a freak.”

“That boy is a gift.” A blessing, the best thing to have happened to their family. She swore on the day they signed the papers that she’d protect him and she meant it. 

She doesn’t feel bad about breaking the son of a bitch’s arm as she overpowered him, she only feels bad that Jay witnessed such violence.

And hears such language as she pulls her gun and points it at Dangler. “Try it, motherfucker.”

Her gun shot twice, flashing blue at Dangler's chest and snapping him back, to the rickety wooden table carrying the computers and devices. The table collapsed and Dangler was buried beneath it, electricity sparks flying everywhere. Alex quickly put the gun back in its holster and ran to Maggie, who was lying in a small pool of blood under her thigh.

"Oh, God," she murmured, groping for a bandage from the back of her vest. Maggie moaned in pain, hurrying to sit up.

"I'll be fine." She took the bandage. Alex pressed on the comms in her ear. "Alpha team, you’re free to enter. The suspect is disabled." She looked around for the other man. "Another suspect in the scene -"

But the man was gone.

"Escaped. He’s still here. Find him."

"Alex," Maggie bandaged her thigh skillfully, but her eyes looked to where Jay had been a moment ago. "Where's Jay?"

Alex lifted her head, noticing the torn rope that held the kid just a minute ago.

Jay is gone too. That means only one thing.

Alex's heart almost stopped. Not again, she won't tolerate it again. "Jay?"

"Mom!" Jay's voice sounded distant, frightened. Alex started to run towards the sound source on the other side of the basement.

"Jay, I'm coming!"

"Don't bother." She turned, discovering the broken armed man holding Jay, squirming, in his healthy arm, and a knife in his broken one. She raised her hands carefully, her eyes focused on her frightened son.

"Jay-Jay, listen to me. Close your eyes. It'll be over soon."

"It will definitely be over soon." The man shook his head. His hand holding the knife seemed flaccid, but he held it to the boy's stomach. Alex felt her heart flutter with fear. She continued to look at Jay, whose eyes closed tightly.

"Take me," she swallowed. "Take me in his place. Release him, and take me. I'm the director of the DEO. You can take me instead."

"What the fuck am I gonna do with you?" He almost laughed. "We’re looking for aliens. The device you saw there-" He nodded towards the tables. "Was invented by one of our geniuses. It takes the alien cells in the alien's body, makes them human. It's one way to clean the earth from all these freaks." Jay tried to break free again, but the man tightened his grip. "Their technology is not bad, though. We found it to be... quite usable, especially recently. These stuff were very useful when we took little E.T over here. But it doesn't change the fact that they're all freaks. And these freaks are the worst thing that could happen to humans. They shouldn’t be here."

Alex's blood pounded in her ears, and she kept her eyes on the man. She didn't want to say what was going on in her mind, knowing Jay was listening. She knew that this kind of cell experiment could kill him. She looked at her small, helpless little boy, being held with such evil power in the hands of this man. She began to make small steps towards him, her hands still outstretched.

"I'll give you whatever you want-"

"What I want is the boy." He started to walk away a little, Jay squirming in his arms. "Don't try to follow me."

"Mom! Mommy, no!"

Alex pulled out her gun. "I really wanted to avoid this. You know how much a child psychologist costs nowadays?" She pointed the gun to his feet.

"Release him. Or I'll shoot."

She saw the man's grip tighten again, causing Jay to squirm harder. She raised three fingers in the air.

She had enough. She wanted her son back.

"One…"

Jay opened his eyes, looking at his mother.

"Two..." Alex lowered a second finger. “Three!" 

Jay sent a small but accurate punch to the man's broken arm, causing him to let out a groan of pain and drop the knife. Jay was able to jump out of the man's arms just as the strike team burst in from the back door with their rifles, leaping at the man and handcuffing him.

Alex dropped to her knees, spreading her arms forward to catch Jay, who grabbed her with a koala grip. She held his small body in her arms, feeling the lump in her throat dissolve into tears.

"Jay… Oh, God, my Jayson…" She wept. She heard him sobbing into her shoulder as the agents around them captured the two suspects, leading them away, along with the computers and devices that were there. She carried him on her until she reached Maggie, who was trying to get up, unsuccessfully.

"My Jay," Maggie whimpered as Jay jumped from Alex's arms to Maggie's. She crushed him in her embrace, kissing the top of his head repeatedly. Alex leaned to their side, wrapping them both in her arms.

"You're okay, baby. You're alive and well. You're with us," Maggie said through her tears, running her hands over the boy's back, trying to feel his little body, making up for the feeling she was so afraid of losing. They both held him in a protective embrace, relief slowly spreading inside of them, now that they know the danger is gone.

"Mom?" Jay's voice trembled.

Maggie released the grip slightly to let Jay raise his head. His eyes were red and his long hair was wild. In spite of everything, he looked much less scared. He looked from one mom to another.

"Can we go home?"

"Yes, honey." Alex kissed his forehead again and again. "We’re going home."

~ ~ ~

They’d moved into their house some six years ago, a beautiful little red brick close to the heart of the city that work commutes weren’t long but far enough away from all the hustle and bustle. 

It’d only become a home when they started their family, with Gertrud at first, then with Jamie and finally, with Jayson. 

It was so good to have him back.

It’s five o'clock in the morning when they finally return home, and for some unknown reason, Jamie and Eliza are awake, in the living room, with a fairy tale book on Eliza's lap. 

After putting the two suspects into custody, their devices in the hands of the DEO technology lab, and after Jay underwent extensive medical examinations, they returned home - Maggie with a bandaged thigh and a white walking stick, and Alex with the tired Jay in her arms. In other times they would have stayed at the DEO for further examinations, but for now, they just wanted to be home. With their family.

"Mom?" Jamie’s little feet hurried to the door when she heard the key rattle. She jumped a step back as the door opened, revealing both her mothers and brother, tired, but finally home.

"Jamie-doll, it's 5 am!" Maggie looked surprised. She looked up at Eliza, who was still sitting on the couch. "Why aren’t you two asleep?"

Eliza got up, rushing to take Jay out of Alex's arms, relive spreading across her face. "We couldn't."

Jamie looked particularly wakeful, bouncing up and down, excited to finally see all her family again in one house. Maggie stepped forward to sit down on one of the couches, and Alex rushed to give her an inflated pillow to put her injured leg up. Jamie approached her with concern, noticing the way she limped. “Mommy, are you okay?”

"I am now,” she said, the biggest smile on her face as she looked at her daughter. “I’ve never been better.” 

Jamie seemed content, and allowed Maggie to gather her up to sit on her healthy leg. "How do you feel, kiddo?"

Jamie looked at her grandmother, who was holding her tired brother in her arms, softly murmuring words of love to him. "I'm glad Jay is back."

"Me too."

“Did Supergirl save him?"

Maggie looked at her wife, who went to the kitchen to get herself a drink. Alex ran a hand through her red, unruly hair, her fingers still slightly trembling. Maggie felt her heart shudder with joy, overwhelmed with love.

"No, sweet pea. Mama and I saved him."

Jamie’s eyes widened at her mom. She knew her mothers were fighting bad guys, but Supergirl was the ultimate savior in her eyes. She looked from Alex to Maggie and back.

"You guys are stronger than Supergirl!" She said in amazement, making Maggie laugh.

"I guess we are."

Jay, still in his grandma's arms, suddenly opened his eyes. Eliza hurried to place him beside Maggie, and he curled up there against her shoulder, still tired but calmer than ever. Jamie leaned to him with a huge smile.

"Hey, Jay! Did you know Mommy and Mama are stronger than Supergirl?"

Jay opened one eye. "Of course. They are the strongest moms in the world."

Maggie raised her head, finding Alex standing beside them, listening to the conversation between their children.

Alex’s tears were happy ones. 

Maggie squeezed them both tightly, kissing each of their heads. “It’s because we have the best kids in the world.”

“Room for one more?” Alex asked, heart full.

“Always,” Maggie answered. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! 
> 
> we are @bilerleighs (yar) and @lifeinIight (cait) on twitter you can come yell at us
> 
> let us know your thoughts down below, and if you liked it, leave kudos!
> 
> happy mothers day, and sanvers endgame :)


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